Archive for the ‘symptoms of autism’ Category

What is meant by autistic repetitive behavior? And why do children with autism engage in this behavior?

First we need to understand what autism is?

Autism is a life long disorder affecting the brain, some of the symptoms of autism are:

Communication difficulties

Social deficits

Imagination and Interaction deficit…

Autism can not be cured and as yet research has not defined the cause of autism spectrum disorder, there are at present various thoughts on the root cause of autism spectrum disorder.

Most children with autism will engage in some form of repetitive behavior…

What is autistic repetitive behavior?

A repetitive behavior is something a person does repeatedly without reason or thought. Research shows repetition is common in autism all children with autism will like repetition and sameness in all aspects of their lives.

Some autistic repetitive behavior is thought to be because of an overload in sensory input. Children with autism are very sensitive and can be easily overwhelmed by their environment.

Therefore the child on the autism spectrum will engage in a repetitive behavior such as finger flicking, rocking or other stimming behavior as a means of calming their senses.

Some children with autism are very sensitive to touch and will shy away from physical contact, preferring not to be touched, which can be quite hard to understand as a parent.

Research suggests autistic repetitive behavior can be a means of controlling sensory overload in children with autism. We all engage in some form of repetitive behavior at some point in our lives, we like to pick the same lottery numbers, we wont miss our soaps, we must leave the remote in a certain place etc…all forms of repetitive behavior.

Directing autistic repetitive behavior in children with autism can be helped by using autism social stories…

Autism social stories can be implemented to help control behaviors such as stimming.

Pictorially rich with appropriate text these specific expertly written autism tools can be used to manage almost all aspects and situations the child on the autism spectrum is finding confusing, stressful or makes them anxious.

They give the child on the autism spectrum clear instruction of how, where, why and when, helping them control their sense and make sense of the world around them.

To download autism social stories which can help by directing autistic repetitive behavior visit:

Generally when looking at the behavior characteristics of autism it shows us that typically before the child’s third birthday the behavior characteristics of autism will begin to become apparent. Parents of kids with ASD will normally have noticed something is not quite right, their child may be displaying odd behaviors and may not have reached milestones.

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder which affects the brain in individuals. Generally all kids with ASD will have autistic social skills deficits these deficits commonly make up the symptoms of autism.

These autistic social skills deficits are social, communication, imagination and interaction skills deficits and will always be present to a certain degree.

All kids with ASD are different and the degree of autistic social skills deficit will also be different some kids with ASD are low functioning and may never develop speech they may also have other educational disabilities. While at the top end of the autism scale is high functioning and asperger syndrome these individuals are often average or above average intelligence and have often been referred to as “geeks”.

The symptoms of autism can be severe in some cases while in others mild to moderate.

Generally looking at the behavior characteristics of autism WILL also SUGGEST sensory issues in all or some of the senses, sight, touch, smell, taste, and sound.

Kids with ASD view the world in a different way to typically developing children they do not process sensory information in the same manner. The child on the spectrum will not naturally learn social, communication, imagination and interaction skills unlike a typically developing child that will learn naturally the skills needed to function normally. The typically developing youngster learns social skills through their environment and their own senses.

The child on the spectrum does not do this and will need direct teaching of behaviors, social and communication skills. This can be achieved through the use of autistic visual supports such as PECS cards and social stories for autistic children.

Many parents of kids with ASD as well as teachers and other professionals are already using autistic visual supports around the home, school, college and anywhere the individual with autism needs extra support or help to understand or cope.

One of the most significant autistic visual supports available to help kids with ASD is social skills stories. Developed almost twenty years ago social skills stories for autism are now probably one of the best known resources for teaching and re-enforcing social, communication, imagination and interaction skills to children with autism.

Reports suggest children with ASD respond very well to social skills stories for autism because they represent the skill being mastered in a way that children with ASD can understand and remember using appropriate language, and visual representation of the skill.

The internet now makes it easier for parents of kids with ASD as well as teachers and others involved with the care of an child on the spectrum to find and source expertly written social stories for autistic children.

Sites such as www.autismsocialstories.com offer immediate download of social stories for autistic children as well as support for all those involved in the care of an autistic child.

Social skills stories for autism are used to teach behaviors and social skills effectively. They are used to help with the looking at the behavior characteristics of autism by providing concrete support and visual representation of the skill or behavior the child with autism is struggling to master.

Download social skills stories from www.autismsocialstories.com and see for yourself how easy they are to use and how affective they can be.

Autism is one of the most common developmental disorders yet still it is misunderstood.

There is no cure for autism, raising a child with autism spectrum is probably one of the toughest challenges a parent could face, the physical and emotional challenges faced can be overwhelming.

Unfortunately, the typical symptoms of autism can be severe in some children which undoubtedly will have an affect on the autistic child’s entire family.

Although there is nothing that can be done to reverse autism, there are strategies parents of children on the autism spectrum can use to help with the typical symptoms of autism.

Research has shown parents of children on the autism spectrum suffer more stress than parents of children with learningdisabilities.

Therefore finding the right resources for children on the autism spectrum is essential.

Which resources and children with autism are available and how can you access them quickly and easily?

Parents of children on the autism spectrum are using resources for children on the autism spectrum such as autistic social skills stories.

Studies into the use of resources and children with autism; show that there is a significant improvement in teaching autism social skills and good behaviors to children on the autism spectrum, once autistic social skills stories have been introduced.

Autistic social skills stories are used effectively for teaching autism social skills and behaviors to children on the autism spectrum; written by experts in autistic behaviors, autistic social skills stories can help an autistic child learn vital social skills and appropriate behaviors.

The social story is typically written in first person text and will normally have visual images/pictures which show the child with autism what is happening and why.

The social story aims to answer the ever important “wh” questions- who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and will offer the child with autism an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of considerable weakness in most children on the spectrum.

Consequently, parents of children on the autism spectrum are able to find better coping methods, which can in turn help alleviate some of the stress parents find themselves under.

Therefore, teaching autism social skills and good behaviors to children on the autism spectrum by using this valuable autism resource can be very beneficial.

The internet now makes finding this autism resource much easier and less time consuming.

To download autistic social skills stories that help parents of children on the autism spectrum find better coping methods, for behaviors such as screaming or even autistic stimming visit a good autism resource site such as:

A diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder can come a s a great shock to many parents.

It is thought that an average of 1 in every 150 babies is going to be given a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder before they attend school, this number is astonishing. Research into autism suggests that there is no one reason for autism, and that there is no cure.

While there is no cure for autism spectrum disorder, there are various autism supports and treatments available that can and will help with the symptoms of autism.

Autism supports and treatments can help with disruptive behaviors, and teach self-help skills that allow for greater independence. So what are the main symptoms of autism? social awareness deficits, communication difficulties both in verbal and non-verbal communication, imagination skills deficits as well as some stereotypical behaviours and sensory processing issues.

Autism supports and treatments ARE often reffered to as “Intervention Strategies”

Which Intervention Strategies will work for your child is mainy dependant on your child’s own personal abilities. No two children with autism spectrum disorder will ever be the same, and therefore the approach will be different. However one of the most significant treatments of autism is Social Skills Stories and ARE adaptable to suit all.

Social Skills Stories ARE used to help teach social awareness skills, deal with communication difficulties and help the child on the spectrum overcome many of the symptoms of autism that they display.

Social skills stories ARE short descriptive stories which detail a skill or behaviour from the child’s own perspective, breaking the skill or behaviour down into small relevant chunks that the child on the spectrum can understand.

The social story looks much like a comic script with visual images and small pices of first person text. Typically children with autism spectrum disorder ARE visual thinkers, this means that they think in pictures and will gain far more from visual intervention strategies like social stories, PECS, flash cards and so on.

Commonly visual intervention strategies like the social story will answer the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as “HOW” and will also provide an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most children with autism spectrum disorder.

Autism is a complex neurological disorder which affects on average 1 in every 150 born. Typically the ratio of boys being diagnosed autistic is higher than females at the ratio 4:1 males being diagnosed autistic.

There are no known cures for autism spectrum disorder BUT there are treatments for autism which can help alleviate many of the symptoms of autism.

The main symptoms of autism being deficits in social awareness, communication difficulties both verbal and non-verbal communication is affected and imagination skills. Typically most autistics also display some sensory processing issues.

Probably some of the most significant treatments for autism available ARE social skills stories, visual social story cards, PECS and flash cards to name a few.

Generally children with autism spectrum disorder will have difficulties in expressing how they feel or what they need, this can cause confusion for parents and teachers, and cause the child much anxiety and stress.

Autism products such as social skills stories and flash cards can be put in place to help the child understand and be understood more effectively.

Social stories ARE autism products which were first introduced around twenty years ago and have grown in use and popularity since there introduction by therapist Carol Gray.

Social stories break down the skill or behaviour into smaller easier to understand sections and use visual images / pictures to show and explain the skill or behaviour from the autistic child’s own perspective.

Much like a comic script conversation the social story is used like a visual plan or framework answering the ever important “WH” questions – who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” the social story will also give the child on the spectrum an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others. This is a known area of weakness for most autistics.

As well as providing a visual plan the social skills story, visual social story cards and flash cards ARE also used as a means of communication.

For example flash cards ARE used as a means of communication providing the child on the spectrum with a selection of small laminated cards to show or exchange for what ever it is they need. So for example at snack time the child may hand the teacher a card showing the picture of an apple in return the teacher would then give the child an apple and so on.

Autism products such as social skills stories, visual social story cards and folders as well as flash cards are now available for download at http://www.autismsocialstories.com

ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is a pervasive developmental disorder that affects how the individual processes information, thinks, acts and reacts. Autism Spectrum Disorder is normally diagnosed in early childhood.

After a diagnosis of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) many parents are left confused and anxious, wondering how the diagnosis of ASD will affect their child and family life.

No two people on the spectrum will ever be the same, and so the symptoms of autism will vary between individuals. However generally kidswith autism will display social awkwardness lack imagination skills and communicationdifficulties, this can cause issues with maintaining friendships and so on.

Kids with autism generally find it hard to make any sense of their environment.

Studies show that in some kids with autism symptoms may not present themselves until the child is between 1 -2 years of age.

What is autism? Here is a list of some of the possible symptoms of autism you may have noticed in your ASD child:

An ASD child may lack the ability to direct an-other person’s attention to what they want or need. Unlike a normally developing child, who will point or gesture towards the object in question.

Kids with autism rarely adjust their gaze to look at objects, and lack the inclination to look at something they are being directed towards.

An ASD child may have communication difficulties and find sustaining or beginning conversations difficult.

Sometimes kids with autism will be slow developing speech and sometimes speech may never actually begin.

They may engage in repetitive behaviours…for example repeating a TV commercial or rhyme etc.

They may confuse simple language terms like wait a minute, or hold on a second and take this as literal. The ASD child may alsouse language in the wrong context, for example they may refer to themselves by name in a conversation or sentence, not by saying “I”; i.e. rather than saying “can I have a biscuit”, they may say “Ben wants a biscuit” and so on…

On occasions an autistic child may prefer to communicate by gesture rather than using speech.

Many autistic children struggle with social situations and may therefore prefer solitary play. The ASD child may have difficulties maintaining and starting friendships with peers difficult. Autistic children and autistic people in general have difficulties in making eye contact which can make encounters difficult!

Generally an autistic child will struggle with interactive games and pretend play, failing to see what the point of the activity or game is.

Autism what is it?Understanding your ASD child and forming appropriate ASD strategies is very important and will make the difference in helping your autistic child reach his or her full potential

There are many ASD strategies to help kids with autism understand the world they live in…

One very effective way of accomplishing this is by the introduction of visual support tools such as autism social stories

Autism Spectrum Disorder is being diagnosed far more these days. Research into pervasive developmental disorder has suggested that using visual support tools such as autism social stories has impacted on the lives and families of those diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder such as ASD
(Autism Spectrum Disorder)

ASD strategies such as autism social stories are used for all situations and activities the ASD child may be confused by or struggling with, for example: Going to the dentist, the death of a loved one, a new car, brushing their hair.

Social stories answe the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as How and give an insight into the thoughts and feelings of others which is an area of marked wakness in kids with autism. Autism Social Stories act like a role model or visual support plan detailing the skill or situation in a manner the autisti child will understand and will give appropriate direction to help the ASD child cope with and dela with the situation or skill.

Autism is one of the most frequent developmental disorders yet still it is misunderstood.

There is no cure for autism, raising a child with autism is probably one of the toughest issues a parent could face, the physical and emotional issues faced can be overwhelming.

Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of autism can be severe in some children which undoubtedly will have an affect on the autistic youngster’s entire family.

Although there is nothing that can be done to reverse autism, there are strategies parents of autistic kids can use to help with the signs and symptoms of autism.

Research has shown parents of autistic kids suffer more stress than parents of children with learning disabilities.

Therefore finding the right resources for autistic kids is essential.

Which resources and kids with autism are available and how can you access them quickly and easily?

Parents of autistic kids are using resources for autistic kids such as autism social skills stories.

Investigation into the use of resources and kids with autism; show that there is a significant improvement in teaching autism social skills and good behaviors to autistic kids, once autism social skills stories have been introduced.

Autism social skills stories are used effectively for teaching autism social skills and behaviors to autistic kids; written by experts in autistic behaviors, autism social skills stories can help an autistic youngster learn vital social skills and appropriate behaviors.

This in-itself can help parents of autistic children find better coping methods, which can in turn help alleviate some of the stress parents find themselves under.

Therefore, teaching autism social skills and good behaviors to autistic kids by using this valuable autism resource can be very beneficial.

The internet now makes finding this autism resource much easier and less time consuming.

To download autism social skills stories that help parents of autistic kids find better coping methods, for behaviors such as screaming or even autistic stimming visit a good autism resource site such as:

Research conducted over the past twenty or so years into Autism Spectrum Disorder has concluded that social skills training is needed.

Social skills impairments are common in children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). And is the primary reason children with ASD struggle with skills and behaviours typically developing children take for granted; like for example: making friends, sharing, taking turns and so on.

Social skills impairments are common in children with ASD and will vary dependant on the individuals own social awareness and abilities. Some of the possible symptoms of autism social skills impairments are:

Deficits in communication skills – Children with autism struggle with non-verbal communication as well as the use of language.

Deficits in social skills – Children with autism struggle with social skills and fail to recognise facial expression or read body language, which can lead to social misunderstandings and on occasion’s blunders.

Deficits in imagination skills – Children with autism struggle with imagination. ASD children are very literal and will say as they see it which can often offend, they will have difficulties with imaginative play (as this is not real) and will often find play difficult, preferring to play alone.

There is no cure for autism, but there are treatments for autism which can help overcome many of the symptoms of autism social skills impairments. These treatments for autism include: PECS, visual support cards, flash cards and social skills stories.

Probably one of the most significant treatments for autism is social skills stories used predominantly for autism spectrum disorder social skills training. Social stories help individuals with autism recognise and deal with social, communication and imagination skills that they are struggling with.

Social skills stories for autism spectrum disorder social skills training follow a set formula of different sentence type, are normally written in first person text and from the autistic individuals point of view.

Answering the ever important “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as “HOW”which most individuals with autism find difficult to understand.

Social skills stories also give autistic individuals an insight into the thoughts feelings and emotions of others.

Using visual images or pictures in the social skills story break the skill or behaviour down into smaller easier to understand sections then using appropriate language the social skills story can help guide the ASD child’s responses and actions, thus reducing misunderstandings, stress and confusion.

Generally a social skills story can be implemented fairly effortlessly, and are normally editable and printable for convenience. No formal training is needed to use social skills stories.

The symptoms of autism affect how an individual thinks and processes information.

Tony Atwood was once quoted as saying “Autism is anxiety looking for a target”. Autism and anxiety go hand-in-hand.

Communication difficulties both verbal and non verbal are common in individuals with autism. Individuals with autism generally appear to be locked inside their own world; these symptoms of autism can cause anxiety.

Anxiety and autism becomes even worse when there is a change in routine, generally children with autism prefer things to remain constant and the same. Even positive and “fun” changes, like a school trip or a visit to the park, can be autistic anxiety triggers, triggering negative even aggressive behaviours.

What can you do about autism anxiety symptoms? For parents of autistic children, it is a good suggestion to anticipate upcoming changes to routines and transitions and help your autistic child prepare for them.

What can you do about autism anxiety symptoms, for example if you are planning a visit to Grandma, it will be helpful touse visual support cards to show your child where he is going, what it will be like, and what sort of things to expect. Intervention Strategies like social skills stories will also help explaining the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as “HOW”

Do this each day for three or four days prior to the trip, this will help prevent any unnecessary autistic anxiety triggers, making the trip more predictable, helping to re-assure the autistic child and relieve some of the stress they may feel

Other changes in the routine which are less enjoyable but still necessary such as a new teacher can be traumatic, as can moving to a new house. If at all possible, try to spread out the major changes. If you move to a new house, try to do it during the summer, so that your child won’t have to deal with the added anxiety of getting a new school and new teacher mid-year.

Looking at ways of dealing with anxiety and autism: Introduce your ASD child to “changes” in a positive way you can use Intervention Strategies to prepare for any changes: Try practicing with non-negative things first. For example, give your ASD child a little extra TV time instead of homework time one evening, to show that changes in the routine can often be fun and good.

Then try a neutral change for example: homework after dinner instead of before dinner, then a negative change for example: changing play time into chore time. This process can help your ASD child grow accustomed to the idea of change and learn to adapt without the onset of autistic anxiety triggers causing stress, confusion and upset.

For continual, ongoing anxiety in autistic children many parents of autistic children us anti-anxiety medications with their child, such as:

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), these are also used for obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft and Anafranil are all common for anxiety in autistic children.

Your own doctor will help prescribe medication, for behavioural problems ASD children are often prescribed Antipsychotics such as Haldol, Fluphenazine and Chlorpromazine. These can reduce aggression in autistic kids, but sometimes also cause sedation and muscle stiffness.

All autistic kids are different. You child’s doctor will monitor your child’s progress very closely, using the lowest dose of medication possible, to see if what improvements it makes and whether there are any adverse reactions.

Medication should be the last resort for autistic kids, not the first one. There are a number of natural remedies available if you don’t want to go down the drug route. But try behavioural and dietary modifications first, to see what improvements can be made naturally.

Children with autism spectrum disorder have deficits in social and communication skills this are common symptoms of autism.

It is also a common misinterpretation of the symptoms of autism to assume children with an ASD do not want to engage in social interchanges. Children with an ASD do not deliberately alienate themselves from other, rather they lack the appropriate social and communication skills needed to make and maintain friendships.

For children with autism social skills deficits can mean they lack the ability to function in social setting appropriately and can misunderstand situations which can cause stress and anxiety to the child on the spectrum and those around them.

A child on the spectrum will be unable to read facial expression or body language and may not use language appropriately.

For many parents this lack of social and communication skills can become a primary focus. Therefore treatments of autism which can help address deficits in social and communication skills are a paramount importance in many families with an autistic child.

There are various treatments of autism available, however many families with an autistic child use treatments of autism which are â€œvisualâ€. We do know that the vast majority of children with autism spectrum disorder are visual thinkers and learners which means they think in pictures.

Social stories are such visual intervention strategies, developed around twenty years ago to help aid communication difficulties in ASD children, and since developed into one of the primary treatments of autism, used to develop and encourage social and communication skills and behaviours in ASD children.

Social stories are short descriptive pieces of first person text, which follow a specific pattern of sentence type.

Social stories for ASD children are visual intervention strategies which use visual images or pictures to show the child on the spectrum â€œHOWâ€ to perform or manage a skill or situation that they are struggling with; for example hygiene issues, asking questions, controlling anger, making friends and so on.

Acting like a visual plan or role model of the skill or situation in a manner the child on the spectrum can understand. Social stories are generally easy to edit and personalize, no two children are ever the same and different terminology is used within families therefore editable social stories are more beneficial.

Social stories answer the ever important â€œwhâ€ questions â€“ who, where, why, when and what as well as give an insight into the thoughts and feelings of others which is something autistic children have difficulty with.

The social story will help with transitions, changes to routines, learning new skills and re-enforcing already learnt skills and behaviours. There is no formal training needed to use social stories, to find a suitable social story for your childâ€™s need visit http://www.autismsocialstories.com

This set of social stories are short descriptive visual intervention strategies which have are currently being used in homes, schools and colleges with good success rates. To find out more about this visual intervention strategy and how it can help your child on the spectrum as well as gain downloads of social stories for ASD children visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological disorder that affects the autistic individual’s brain.

The most common symptoms of autism are displayed in the autistic individual’s lack of social, communication, imagination and behavior skills this is called “the theory of mind”or social skills deficits.

In most cases, behavior characteristics of a child with autism will manifest before the child reaches three.

The symptoms of autism can vary in degree from low functioning autism at one end of the autism scale to mild / moderate and asperger syndrome individuals.

Generally those children at the lower end of the autism scale with low functioning autism may have delayed speech or no speech, and will almost definitely have some educational difficulties and in some cases epilepsy.

On the other end of the autism scale those children with asperger syndrome will almost definitely be average or above average intelligence, these sets of individual’s are often referred to as the little professor!

The behavior characteristics of a child with autism can be complex, with no two autistic children ever being the same. However common to all autistic individuals is the theory of mind.

All autistic children have social skills deficits in social, communication both verbal and non verbal, interaction and imagination skills.

Once you have received a diagnosis of autism, for some parents it is a relief to finally find out why your youngster acts in odd ways and is not developing as a normally child would be expected to develop.

A diagnosis of autism is not the end of the world, far from it. Although there is no cure for autism there are treatments for autism that can help your ASD child reach his/her full potential and hopefully become independent and lead a relatively normal life.

One such treatment for autism is social skills stories; these are used to help address social skills deficits by teaching social, communication, imagination and interaction skills and behaviors.

No matter what behavior characteristics of autism your child displays social skills stories for autistic children WILL help address THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS DEFICITS.

For example; A typical event before using social skills stories for autistic children:

You are trying to get your child to eat with the family at the dinner table. But no matter how hard you try, no matter what you say or do, the outcome is always the same, refusal, tantrums and an interrupted meal for the whole family.

Take the same typical event but this time using social stories for children with an ASD. You want your autistic child to eat at the table with the rest of the family. This time you are armed with an autism social story. YOU read this with your autistic child, they see the visual images, A PLAN that they can understand with appropriate text in a specific step by step framework, a role model they can understand and remember making them more relaxed and comfortable, reducing their stress and anxieties surrounding mealtimes. They are able to join the family around the table for the meal.

However if during the meal your ASD child becomes agitated YOU ARE now in control, and armed, with the very same autism social story you read before the meal. You calm your child by reassuring them with the same story, the meal continues without tantrums and stress. The autism social story has made a stressful and difficult time for your ASD child predictable and routine which makes them far happier.

No matter what behavior characteristics of autismÂ your autistic child struggles with, by providing them with an appropriate autism social story, you will help calm and make the skill or behavior predictable and easier to cope with and comprehend making your life a whole lot easier and less stressful.

Autism is one of the most common developmental disorders yet still it is misunderstood.

Being the parent of an autistic child is one of the toughest challenges a parent can face. However with early diagnosis of autism, the challenges can be lessened.

Understanding which resources to use with an autistic child can be confusing, with so many treatments for autism available, many parents struggle to understand and decide which resources will best suit their own individual child.

Unfortunately, the symptoms of autism can be severe in some children with an ASD, some children with an ASD may never develop speech may have other educational difficulties and seizures. While other children with an ASD may have average or above average intelligence, although in most cases speech will be slow to develop.

Although there is nothing that can be done to reverse autism, therefore a diagnosis of autism is a lifelong disability. However there are strategies parents of autistic children can use to help with the symptoms of autism.

So which resources to use with an autistic child? What isavailable and how can you access them quickly and easily?

Generally being the parent of an autistic child can be isolating, frustrating and confusing. Many parents of autistic children use resources such as autism social skills stories, to help their child develop age appropriate skills and behaviours that their typically developing peers are learning naturally.

Studies into the behaviour patterns of children with autism show that most autistic children are visual thinkers and learners no matter which end of the autism scale they are on. This knowledge helps us determine which kind of resources may be needed to help children with autism learn skills and behaviours effectively.

Generally visual thinkers and learners will better understand information when it is presented visually through images, pictures, graphs etc rather that through written words or orally. For children with autism on either end of the autism scale visual representations and information is better received and understood.

Visual resources for children with autism are available from many sites like: http://www.autismsocialstories.comVisual resources for children with autism such as social skills stories can be implemented and used effectively to help show and teach children with an ASD appropriate skills and behaviours. For example social skills stories are used to help autistic children learn behaviours such as making friends, controlling negative behaviours, asking questions, sharing, taking turns, respecting personal space, using the toilet and so on.

Social skills stories are like a comic script, visual, colourful, use first person language, can be edited, printed and personalized. Social skills stories are like a role model detailing the skill or behaviour in appropriate language and images easy to use, follow and versatile, can be edited and convenient to use. Social skills stories are one of the most popular autism resources used today, and have great uses in the nursery, classroom, college, work place and at home or out and about they can be used in most situation the autistic child struggles with for example the dentist, a hospital visit, birthday party, school trip, wedding etc.

Autism spectrum disorder is one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders today, with approximately 1 in every 150 in the US receiving a diagnosis. However it is still not know what causes autism spectrum disorder and why more boys than girls are likely to be autistic.

The symptoms of autism spectrum disorder are common to all individuals on the spectrum. The symptoms of autism spectrum disorder are: deficits in social interaction, communication difficulties and deficits in imagination. The severity of the symptom will vary between individuals.

There are various therapies, resources and treatments available for children with autism that will help address their individual autism symptoms.

It is believed that autistic individuals are visual thinkers and learners and therefore information presented to them visually is far more likely to be understood.

Therefore using resources for children with autism that are visual is essential. Teaching a child on the spectrum to overcome social skills deficits is going to be easier using visual supports and resources such as social skills stories, PECS, flash cards and so on.

Autism social skills stories are used widely by parents, care givers, teachers and other professionals to teach social interaction skills, overcome communication difficulties and help build imagination skills.

Developed almost twenty years ago autism social skills stories can show a child on the spectrum using visual images and first person text what is expected of them.

Visual supports for autism, like social skills stories for autistic children can be used as tools in the home and at school.

The social story should follow a set pattern, always be written from the child’s perspective and give key focus to the main point, describing appropriate responses they may expect to get and those responses others will expect from them.

Generally social skills stories for autistic children are easy to implement, may be edited and printed for ease of use and convenience.

Sites such as http://www.autismsocialstories.com allow downloads for a very small fee of various professionally written autism social skills stories for autistic children as well as other appropriate visual supports for autism, making teaching vital social skills easier for parents and teachers.

To obtain social skills stories for autistic children visit any of the following sites:

With an increase in the number of children being diagnosed with ASD, it is now recognized that autism spectrum disorders are more common in children than disorders such as diabetes, spina bifida, or Down syndrome.

All children diagnosed with ASD will have common symptoms of autism; these are known as social skills deficits or the triad of impairments.A child’s social skills deficits are characterized by difficulties in:

Social skills development

Communication both verbal and non-verbal skills

Imagination skills

Interaction skills

These deficits are always present in children with ASD to varying degrees.

In addition to the triad of impairments or social skills deficits children diagnosed with ASD may also display sensory processing issues.

Probably the most noticeable of the symptoms of autism is an individual’s difficulty with social interactions. A child with autism spectrum disorder may have little trouble learning to read but exhibit extremely poor social interaction.

Typically a child with autism spectrum disorder will not follow the normal pattern of development. Generally parents of ASD children may have an idea that there is something not quite right with their child before their child is diagnosed with ASD.

For example from birth, typically developing babies are social beings. Early in life, they gaze at people, turn toward voices, grasp a finger, and even smile. However with ASD children this is not always the case.

Research suggests that although children with ASD are attached to their parents, the attachment is not typical and is difficult to read. For parents of ASD children, their child’s apparent lack of attachment can be upsetting and stressful.

Generally typically developing children have met all their milestones in communication by the age of three, however for most ASD children these milestones may pass un-met. Communication both verbal and non-verbal can prove difficult for ASD children.

Some children with autism spectrum disorder will never develop speech, or speech may be delayed. Generally all individuals on the spectrum are visual thinkers and learners and benefit form visual aids that can help them learn social and communication skills.

For many children with autism spectrum disorder using visual aids that teach social and communication skills such as PECS, visual support cards and social stories are proving very beneficial.

For the vast majority of individuals with autism spectrum disorder social and communication skills teaching needs to be direct. For example making friends, for typically developing children this skill is learnt naturally. For an ASD child this skill does not develop naturally, although some children with autism spectrum disorder may wish to be social they do not know how.

Consequently, many children with autism spectrum disorder social and communication skills teaching is achievable by using visual aids like social stories. Since their development twenty years ago, social stories have grown into probably one of the most significant tools used for teaching and re-enforcing social and communication skills in children with autism and related conditions today.

Social stories are a role model that provide individuals with ASD a visual explanation in the form of a script, much like a step by step visual representation or plan of the skill or situation that he or she may find difficult, stressful or confusing.

Social stories use a specifically defined style and format. The goal of social stories is to describe accurately using first person language and social cues in a clear and reassuring manner that is easily understood by the individual with an ASD.

Giving the individual with ASD accurate information that answers the “wh” questions
(who, where, why, when and what) as well as giving an insight into the thoughts and feelings of others helping them manage and cope with the skill or behavior.

Social stories will help reduce anxieties andstress making them to feel more comfortable with and in the situation.

For more information on social stories for autism and how they can help with autism spectrum disorder social and communication skills teaching visit any of the following sites where you will also gain immediate downloads of appropriate social stories for autism.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is one of the most common pervasive developmental disorders yet still it is misunderstood.

There is no cure for autism, for many parents raising a child with a pervasive developmental disorder such as Autism Spectrum Disorder is challenging emotionally and physically.

The symptoms of autism will vary between individuals. However all children with autism will display social skills deficits in social communication, imagination and interaction skills. Social skills deficits make interacting and understanding the world we live in difficult.

Although there is no cure for autism, there are various learning strategies for children with autism that can help address the child’s own individual social skills deficits.

Research has shown parents raising a child with a pervasive developmental disorder such as autism generally suffer more stress related illnesses than parents of children with any other learningdisability.

Therefore finding the right learning strategies for children with autism is essential.

Many parents of children with autism struggle finding resources, but with the growth of the internet, this is now not the case.

Many sites offer parents of children with autism excellent learning strategies such as social stories which address their child’s social skills deficits.

Research into the various resources available to children with autism; suggests a significant improvement in social, communication, imagination and interaction skills and behaviors in autistic children that use autism social skills stories.

Autism social skills stories were first introduced twenty years ago as a means of communication for autistic children. Today they have grown into one of the most significant resources available to children with autism to help them address their social skills deficits.

Written by experts in autistic behaviors, autism social skills stories are normally visually rich, and use first person language, much like a comic strip conversation they are used like a visual framework to help the child learn and cope with social, communication, imagination and interaction skills or behaviors they struggle to master.

Studies showparents of children with autism using autism social skills stories better cope with their child’s autism symptoms.

Therefore, using social stories is beneficial.

Sites offering social stories that can be printed, edited and downloaded immediately like http://www.autismsocialstories.com also offer support and information on Autism Spectrum Disorder, that many parents of children with autism find helpful.

To download autism social skills stories of learning strategies for children with autism visit

ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is a pervasive developmental disorder that affects the individual’s brain; normally diagnosed in early childhood.

A diagnosis of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is not the end of the world. The symptoms of autism will vary between individuals, but generally kidswith autismmay display communicationdifficulties, and difficulties forming friendships with other people.

Kids with autism generally find it hard to make any sense of their environment. Often referred to as “Autism Own World”.

Research shows that in some kids with autism symptoms may not present themselves until the child is between 1 -2 years of age.

What is autism? Here is a list of some of the possible autismsymptoms you may have noticed in your ASD child:

An ASD child may lack of the ability to direct others attention to what they want or need. Unlike a normally developing child, who will point or gesture towards the object in question.

Kids with autism rarely adjust their gaze to look at objects, and lack the inclination to look at something they are being directed towards.

An ASD child may have communication difficulties and find sustaining or beginning conversations difficult.

Sometimes kids with autism will be slow developing speech and sometimes speech may never actually begin.

They may engage in repetitive behaviours for example repeating a TV commercial or rhyme etc.

They may confuse simple language terms, and use language in the wrong context, for example they may refer to themselves by name in a conversation or sentence, not by saying I; i.e. rather than saying “can I have a biscuit”, they may say “Ben wants a biscuit” and so on…

On occasions an autistic child may prefer to communicate by gesture rather than using speech.

Autistic children tend to prefer to be alone and find maintaining and indeed starting friendships with peers difficult. Autistic children and autistic people in general have difficulties in making eye contact which can make encounters difficult

An autistic child will struggle with interactive games and pretend play, failing to see what the point of the activity or game is.

Autism what is it?Understanding your ASD child and forming appropriate ASD strategies is very important and will make the difference in helping your autistic child reach his or her full potential.

There are many ASD strategies to help kids with autism understand the world they live inâ€¦

One very effective way of accomplishing this is by the introduction of visual support tools such as autism social stories.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is being diagnosed far more these days. Research into pervasive developmental disorder has suggested that using visual support tools such as autism social stories has impacted on the lives and families of those diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder such as ASD
(Autism Spectrum Disorder).

ASD strategies such as autism social stories are used for all situations and activities the ASD child may be confused by or struggling with, for example: Going to the dentist, the death of a loved one, a new car, brushing their hair.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a pervasive developmental disorder, and as yet there is still no known cure for autism, however there are many treatments.

Some help manage the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder, while others address the social, behavioural and communication difficulties associated with this pervasive developmental disorder. Of all the available autism treatments any claiming to be a cure for autism is simply not so.

There are many different theories surrounding the “cause of autism” and as yet no one theory has proven conclusive, research into the cause of autism and the symptoms of autism is still on-going.

There are many different types of therapies and autism treatments developed specifically to alleviate symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

A diagnosis of autism is not the end of the world, with the available therapies and treatment for autism it is expected that children with autism have the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.

Probably one of the most significant treatment for autism is social stories, a social story will address communication difficulties help build social skills, interaction and imagination skills as well as encourage appropriate behaviours.

We all need a certain amount of social and communication skills to be able to function daily. With autism the ability to learn social and communication skills is missing, however using a treatment for autism like social stories this lack of naturally learnt skills and behaviours can be addressed successfully.

Typically developing children learn through the environment and their family and peers, the child with ASD wont, therefore direct teaching is necessary. Â Using social stories as a strategy for improving and teaching social skills to your child with ASD is simple, no qualifications or formal training is needed, social stories are simple to use and very effective.

The symptoms of autism vary between individuals, however all autistic’s tend to be visual thinkers and learners. Therefore social stories were developed to be visual, much like a visual framework of the skill or behaviour being addressed.

For many parents probably the most significant difficulty they struggle with is their child’s communication difficulties, for most children with autism language is confusing and often they do not understand what is expected of them. Much like if you were dropped in a foreign country, chances are you would not understand what people were saying, however if they showed you a picture chances are you would catch on pretty fast. This is the same with autism visual images and pictures trigger understanding much quicker that the spoken or written word.

For example a parent struggling to make their child understand may talk more trying to explain, this is not going to work with a child with ASD, the answer is to talk less and use visual cues prompts. For example show them a picture of the toilet, dinner etc rather than speak they will understand a lot quicker and with less stress for the both of you.

Using social stories as a strategy uses this knowledge; a social story is a visual representation with minimal text, always in first person language that describes the skill or behaviour from the point of view of the autistic individual.

The social story breaks the situation down into small pieces and each piece of the skill for example going to recess is represented by an image and text describing the “wh” questions (who, where, when, why and what) as well as what the child with ASD may expect from others and what they will expect back from them. This will help the autistic individual feel more comfortable and in control which will reduce anxieties and stress.

To learn more about this treatment for autism and how using social stories as a strategy can help your child with ASD visit any of the following sites:

Autism spectrum disorder is one of the most common developmental disorders with 1 in ever 150 children receiving an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis yet still it is misunderstood

There is no cure for autism, but there are treatments available.For some parents receiving an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis is devastating. For many parents raising a child with autism is one of the toughest challenges parents may possibly ever face both physical and emotionally.

The symptoms of autism vary between individuals as no two people will ever be exactly the same. Some children with autism may be on the lower end of the autism spectrum disorder scale, while others may be high functioning or aspergers.

Although there is no cure for autism or that can be done to reverse the symptoms of autism, there are strategiesparents of autistic children can use to help their child learn vital and less vital social, communication, interaction and imagination skills and behaviors.

The internet makes it possible for experts in childhood autism to reach more parents and offer services that they would otherwise need to wait sometimes many years to get in place. Therefore, sites run by experts in childhood autism now offer strategies andresources for children with autismsuch as social stories which can teach skills and behaviors that the child with autism would otherwise find difficult, stressful and overwhelming, these social stories are available as downloads.

For parents of autistic children, teachers and other professionals involved in the care and well being of children with autism these sites are a real benefit. Helping them quickly and easily find strategies and resources for children with autism such as autism social skills stories for download ready for immediate implementation cutting back on stress, anxieties and in some cases red tape.

Research into strategies and resources for children with autism; show that there is a significant improvement in teaching autism social skills and good behaviors to autistic children, once autism social skills stories have been introduced.

Autism social skills stories were developed almost twenty years ago for teaching autism social skills and behaviors to autistic children by therapist Gray and have since evolved in to one of the major autism tools used to teach and re-enforce positive behaviors and social skills.

Generally written by experts in autistic behaviors, and in some cases by parents of autistic children autism social skills stories have been shown to work, and have proven a great success at helping children with autism learn vital social skills and appropriate behaviors.

This in-itself can make raining a child with autism easier and less stressful. Consequently, teaching autism social skills and good behaviors to autistic children using these valuable autism tools and resources is beneficial.

To download autism social skills stories that help parents of autistic children find better coping methods, for behaviors such as screaming or even autistic stimming visit a good autism resource site such as:

Autism spectrum disorder is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life.

Autism spectrum disorder affects the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Making life difficult for children with autism and finding friends.

Children with autism display deficits in verbal and non-verbal communication, social, imagination and interaction skills and behaviors.Â Typically children with autism spectrum disorder find it difficult to communicate with others and relate to the outside world and will often be described as being in a “world of their own” In some children with autism spectrum disorder, aggressive and sometimes self-injurious behavior may also be present.

The symptoms and characteristics of autism may present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, ranging from mild as with aspergers to severe or low functioning autism.

Although the symptoms and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder are generally recognized by a certain set of behaviors, children with autism will exhibit various combinations of these behaviors dependant on the degree or severity of their diagnosis.

Consequently, no two children regardless of diagnosis will ever be the same and may act very differently from one another and display varying skills and behaviors. This complex set of symptoms and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder make finding and maintaining friendships difficult.

Generally all autistic children will be visual learners and will gain a better grasp of learning life skills like making friends easier when the skills is taught using visual supports for autism such as social stories for autism.

Many parents realize that using visual supports for autism can impact on a better grasp of our world and how to interact affectively, giving the autistic child a better chance of social acceptance and less chance of social mistakes and blunders.

Developed almost twenty years ago to teach social, communication, imagination and interaction skills to autistic people the social skills story has evolved, and is reported as one of the most significant resources used today, to teach, and enforce, important life and living skills and behaviors to autistic people.

Sites offering information on how to use the social skills story to teach vital social, communication, imagination and interaction skills to those with autism can be found readily, one such site offering explanation and downloads of social stories like children with autism and finding friendsis:

Autism is a pervasive developmentaldisorder affecting an individual’s brain.

The common symptoms of autism are communication, social, imagination and interaction skills deficits. These common symptoms of autism are often referred to the triad of autistic impairments.

The triad of autistic impairments is present in every autistic individual. However the severity of symptom will differ between each autistic individual.

The communication problems of autism vary depending upon the intellectual and social development of the autistic individual.

Some children with autism may be unable to speak, whereas others may have rich vocabularies and are able to talk about topics of interest in great depth.

Almost all children with autism will have difficulty effectively using communication skills and language. Many children with autism spectrum disorder also display deficits with word and sentence meanings, intonations, and rhythms.

Many children with autism often say things that have no content or information some autistic children use echolalia, a repetition of something previously heard, for example from a TV program, cartoon or other auditory means.

Many autistic children will use immediate echolalia for example they may repeat a question, “Do you want something to drink?” instead of replying with a “yes” or “no.”

Delayed echolalia, is when a child will say, “Do you want something to drink?” whenever he or she is asking for a drink.

Generally children with autism do not make eye contact and have low attention spans.

Many children with autism are unable to use gestures as a means of communication, for example sign language, or to assist verbal communication, such as pointing to an object they want. These are probably some of the more significant communication problems of autism.

Therefore the communication goals for children with autism will vary dependant on individual needs.

Parents can help their autistic child improve social and communication skills using social stories. Generally children with autism spectrum disorder are visual learners and will benefit from visual supports for autism such as social stories which can help teach children to cope with their individual communication problems of autism.

Developed almost twenty years ago by therapist Carol Gray social skills stories were first introduced to help teach social, communication, imagination and interaction skills to children with autism spectrum disorder.

Social skills stories are one of the major tools used as visual supports for autism and are now available for immediate downloads form sites such as http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Many parents and teachers use social skills stories to teach communication skills such as asking questions, holding a conversation and learning how to greet other people.

To help develop and reach appropriate communication goals for children with autism download and begin using social skills stories immediately.

To learn more about social skills stories and gain access to immediate downloads visit any of the following sites: